Session chair: 

Individual Contribution

Dr.  Naeema Huseein EL Kout Ahmad Ramadan, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)

Integrating Rehabilitation and Disability Inclusion into Pandemic Preparedness: Towards Equitable Global Health Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed critical inequities in global health preparedness, particularly for persons with disabilities and those requiring ongoing rehabilitation. While international frameworks such as the International Health Regulations (IHR) and Joint External Evaluations (JEE) have advanced surveillance and emergency response, they continue to overlook rehabilitation as an essential health service. This gap perpetuates exclusion and limits recovery capacity, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This tandem presentation by Dr. Naeema Ahmad Ramadan Hussein El Kout (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) and Prof. Antoni Plasència (ISGlobal, University of Barcelona, Spain) explores how disability-inclusive rehabilitation can strengthen pandemic preparedness and response within African and European health systems. Drawing on findings from our joint comparative analysis of international monitoring and evaluation frameworks, we highlight how the absence of rehabilitation indicators undermines resilience and equity during health crises. The talk integrates perspectives from health policy, rehabilitation science, and implementation research to propose a new conceptual model for “Inclusive Pandemic Preparedness.” This model embeds rehabilitation and disability considerations across prevention, response, and recovery phases—aligning with the principles of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through case studies from South Africa and Spain, we demonstrate the potential for cross-regional learning, data-sharing, and co-creation of adaptable policy tools. Our collaboration underscores the CIVIS mission to advance joint solutions for joint challenges through equitable partnerships between Africa and Europe. We will conclude with actionable recommendations, including: Integrating rehabilitation and disability metrics into preparedness assessments; Building interdisciplinary training modules for global health professionals; and Establishing an Africa–Europe CIVIS research network on Rehabilitation in Health Emergencies. By bridging policy, science, and practice, this presentation aims to reposition rehabilitation not as a post-crisis afterthought but as a foundational component of resilient, inclusive global health systems.

Collective Contribution

 Dr. Sarah Demart, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels (Belgium)

 Prof. Ben Bepouka, University of Kinshasa, Kinsahsa (Democratic Republic of Congo)

 Dr. Dieudonne Tawaba, University of Kinshasa, Kinsahsa (Democratic Republic of Congo)

 Impact of reduced US funding on the HIV response among refugees, displaced persons, and returnees: what challenges for sustainability and preparedness for future viral epidemics? The case of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

This tandem talk explores new avenues to face the challenge of US fundings withraw from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is based on a strong collaboration between the infectious and tropical diseases department of the Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN) and the Observatory of aids and sexuality from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). From an interdisciplinary research protocol joining together medical sciences (UNIKIN) and humanities and social sciences (ULB), our KinPrEP project (2023-25, ARES funding) has explored the missed opportunities of PrEP within migration. Among them the fact that prevention programs are poorly available for refugees, displaced persons, and returnees. The Eastern part of the (DRC) faces chronic instability marked by armed conflict which engenders not only mass displacement but also weaken health structures. Furthermore, HIV prevention’s interventions rely heavily on funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and USAID. The announced reduction in this funding jeopardizes the continuity of testing, treatment, and prevention services in humanitarian areas. To mitigate these risks, it is urgent to reflect on approaches enabling us to preserve the gains made in the fight against HIV and strengthen health preparedness in fragile cross-border areas. From our findings, will discuss the possibilities for operationalizing four areas of action: (1) integrate new-generation diagnostic tools (4th generation rapid tests, portable GeneXpert platforms, m-PIMA) to ensure decentralized screening that can be adapted to other viral epidemics; (2) further decentralize care through self-support groups (SSGs); (3) strengthen the community leadership of refugee associations in awareness-raising and monitoring; and (4) diversify funding sources by mobilizing local, private, and humanitarian partners.